Regarding cultural studies, the semiotic method allows analysis through different levels of image interpretation. Since semiotics is the study of signs and meaning, it is directly related to the way in which such analysis is approached because it is one of the tools used to understand and interpret social constructs and the way in which meaning is transmitted to others. “Within semiotic theory, a significant system such as language is understood as an ordering of signs that constructs meaning within itself through a series of conceptual and phonic differences” ('Semiotics' 2004, in The Sage Dictionary of Cultural Studies). It is language that ultimately gives meaning to the objects around us. The Swiss linguist Saussure argued that “language does not reflect a pre-existing, external reality of independent objects” but that meaning is produced because “signs are different from each other” (Barker, 76). By dividing a sign into separate elements, the signifier (the word) and the signified (the object), it allows a distinction between the word assigned to an object and the meaning of the object, showing how the grouping of the two is arbitrary. However, it should be noted that language is not the only system of meaning, but images, gestures, social behavior, clothing, are all encrusted with meaning and elements of symbolic order and understanding. For example, raising the index and middle fingers in a “v” shape simply denotes the action, but the connotations associated with it are numerous: symbolizing peace for some but for others it is seen as an offensive gesture. Like language, it depends on context. We construct shared meanings, and it is the sharing of those meanings that provides a deeper cultural understanding of signs. So, a p... middle of the paper... historical context of the music video. The video was released in October 2012 by Seattle rapper Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis. In the midst of election season, the song was created in support of the campaign for Washington Referendum 74, the legalization of same-sex marriage in Washington State. In the first 24 hours of being posted on YouTube, the music video amassed 350,000 views and has since won the 2013 MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Message. Works Cited'Semiotics' 2004, in The Sage Dictionary of Cultural Studies, Sage UK, London, United Kingdom, viewed 8 December 2013,).'Discourse' 2004, in The Sage Dictionary of Cultural Studies, Sage UK, London, United Kingdom, viewed 8 December 2013,